In order to reduce the size of electrical connectors, one type of electrical connector without an insulative body for holding terminals has been developed, an example of which is shown in FIG. 1. In the electrical connector 1 disclosed in Taiwan Utility Model Patent Number M390560 and shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of terminals 13 are arrayed on a printed circuit board 12 receivable in a metal shell 11. The plurality of terminals 13 are directly soldered to the printed circuit board 12 without using an insulating housing to hold them so that no space for accommodating the insulative housing is required, thereby reducing the height of the electrical connector 1.
The printed circuit board 12 has two rows of soldering pads 14, and the plurality of terminals 13 are respectively soldered onto the soldering pads 14. Traditionally, the terminals 13 may be soldered to the corresponding soldering pads 14 one after another by a pick and place operation. However, such an assembly process is time-consuming, particularly when there are many terminals 13 to be soldered.
Moreover, with continuing reduction of the sizes of electronic devices, the terminals 13 are being made smaller and smaller. Smaller terminals 13 are more difficult to pick and place, bringing a new challenge to the manufacturing of such type of electrical connectors.